Donny and Marie Osmond Through the Years — See 12 Fun Facts You Might Not Know About Them!

They grew up as two of the worlds’ biggest teen idols and now, decades later, Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond are still two of the most beloved celebs in Hollywood! Years ago, the two rose to fame as a beloved brother-sister singing duo and, in what seemed like the blink of an eye, they’ve now turned into worldwide superstars.

Their show, Donny & Marie, first aired back in 1976 and made them the youngest entertainers in television history to host their own hit variety show. Now, almost 40 years later, Donny, 61, and Marie, 59, are juggling their lives as parents, siblings, partners and entertainers.

Performing shows around the world while also headlining their Las Vegas residency at the Flamingo hotel and casino sounds like a lot, but not for Donny and Marie. The pair has effortlessly mastered their busy schedules, and though they might only really see each other at showtime, they’re still closer than ever. “We can finish each other’s sentences and we know what each other’s thinking, but we never see eye-to-eye. That’s our chemistry: it’s toxic,” Marie exclusively told Closer Weeklyin early January.

The mom-of-eight also wasn’t afraid to admit that they don’t always agree on everything. “We are very different people. He loves everything organized and structured, while I like to breathe within the structure of the show,” Marie revealed. “I’m always throwing a curveball at him. He goes crazy and it makes me laugh so I keep doing it.” We love their sibling relationship!

Scroll through the gallery below to check out 12 fun facts about Donny and Marie as a dynamic duo!

Be sure to check out and subscribe to our Classic TV Podcast for more interviews with your favorite stars! Below, Bruce Vilanch writer for Donny & Marie and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour among others.

Marie Has Said Donny Is Her Favorite Person to Be on Stage With

Marie has always had nothing but amazing things to say about her talented brother. “Of all the performers I’ve shared a stage with in my career, Donny has proved to be the most all-around gifted entertainer,” Marie once gushed.

Donny Used to Wear Purple Socks to Their Shows

And for good reason! The brown-haired hunk used to don purple socks during shows so that fans could look for the color as the siblings were on stage. “I stopped when I was about 21 or 22. My wife turned to me and said, ‘Come on, grow up, will you?’ But I do, for sentimental reasons, have a box in my basement of the original pairs of purple socks,” he told Tulsa World in 2015.

They Were Turned Into ‘Donny & Marie’ Barbie Dolls

Donny and Marie were turned into Barbie Dolls together in the ’70s — which has to be one of the coolest things! Donny has also been turned into a cartoon character at least twice before. First, in Rankin-Bass’ Saturday morning series The Osmonds in 1972. Unfortunately, Marie was not a part of the cartoon series as she hadn’t made her performing debut at that time. Donny was also once a recurring character in Johnny Bravo.

Donny and Marie Went Their Separate Ways in the Early ’80s

Donny and Marie stopped singing together in the early ’80s to reestablish their careers as individual artists. “We always knew that we’d come back together again,” Donny once said, adding, “and when I saw this room at the Flamingo, with the booths, I called Marie and said, ‘This is it. This is the old Las Vegas that we grew up in.’”

Marie Agreed to Their Vegas Residency on One Condition

After taking a decades-long hiatus from performing together, Marie and Donny announced they were reuniting in 2008 for a six-month run in Las Vegas. Funnily enough, Marie only agreed to the gig on the condition that she got a larger dressing room than Donny! “Hey, I have more children, and I live here. I need the space,” she once said, defending her bigger space, before joking, “But George Wallace’s is bigger than mine.”

Donny and Marie Each Have a Favorite Song to Perform

“I like performing in Vegas because it allows me to perform many different styles of music,” Marie once revealed to Blog Vegas in 2015. “But the one that I look forward to, that challenges me every night, is ‘Nessun Dorma.'” As for Donny, his favorite is “Moon River.” “Of all the songs I perform in the show, this one reminds me of where entertainment began for me,” he dished.

They Don’t See Each Other Much Outside of Shows

Their Flamingo Las Vegas dressing rooms are next door to each other, but Donny doesn’t see much of his sister until showtime. And when their sets are over, Donny has one destination in mind. “When I have time off, and I’m not doing anything, I’d rather go home and see my wife and kids,” he once admitted.

They’ve Even Been Turned Into Wax Figures

Donny and Marie took their Las Vegas Residency to a whole new level when Madame Tussauds unveiled their wax figures inside The Donny & Marie Showroom at the Flamingo resort. “It’s amazing how real they look … I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have sister,” Marie said at the time, according to Madame Tussauds, to which Donny replied, “I have one sister and one is enough!”

Donny Has One Major Pet Peeve

One of Donny’s pet peeves is when people spell his name like “Donnie.” The spelling error bothers the singer so much that his backstage crew at the Flamingo in Las Vegas once spelled it the wrong way on the gold star on his dressing room door as a joke — ha!

Donny Can Name the Most Embarrassing Moment He’s Ever Had on Stage

“It was during Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, my loincloth came off. In Salt Lake City, of all cities,” Donny explained during a Q&A on Reddit in 2015. “I grabbed a basket and covered myself back up! But the ensemble, the cast, they were chasing me and pulled it off me!”

Marie Is the Only Daughter of 9 Osmond Children

Besides Donny, Marie is also the sister to her seven other brothers — Virl Osmond, 73, Tom Osmond, 71, Alan Osmond, 69, Wayne Osmond, 67, Merrill Osmond, 65, Jay Osmond, 63, and Jimmy Osmond, 55. Thanks to growing up with the boys, Marie has learned to become a jokester over the years. “My mom said to me, ‘You’re Marie Osmond: Your M.O. is to keep (the Osmond brothers) all humble,'” she once said.

Donny Has a Secret to His Long-Lasting Career With Marie

Donny says the secret to a having a long-lasting career with Marie is “not hanging out together all the time — and having our own separate careers,” he once told the Daily Mail. We love you so much, Donny and Marie!